The Most Important Day Of Your Life
by Detective-Inspector-Me
Summary: When Jess is getting married to her new boyfriend, Mike, Nick finds himself regretting his decisions. But, will he have the nerve to tell her? Or will he let her go?


Three years. It had been three long years since Jess and Nick had had that kiss and it still tormented Nick's dreams every night. He knew it was wrong, and it was going to become even worse today, by this time tomorrow, he would have had his first sexual dream about a married woman.

Nick was happy for Jess, she deserved to find the guy of her dreams and Mike really did seem to make her happy. He'd been the bartender for her first date and had coached her through the process, despite how wrong it felt for him inside. On mornings like these he really wished he'd told her to be needy and clingy and everything he loved about her. But he couldn't have. He was her friend.

At the church, Nick sat near the back. He knew Jess would want him up close, but he also knew if he felt any public declaration of love brewing, the back was the best place to run from. When Schmidt and Winston arrived they sat at the back with Nick. They knew how hard this was for him. They knew how he felt, and they didn't mock him. He was thankful for that.

Nick was pulled from his thoughts when the music began and Cici walked the isle with the other bridesmaids. Nicks breath stuck in his throat as he feasted his eyes on the goddess in front of him. For the first time, Jess was beautiful, she was always cute (and sometimes sexy) but today she was radiant. Her hair fell in her statement loose curls and a lily hair piece was attached to the right side of her head. The flower matched her bouquet, which were only a few shades darker than her gorgeous off-white gown.

She walked down the aisle and Nick finally stopped doing his goldfish impression and took his seat. 'Dearly beloved,' the minister began. 'Oh boy,' thought Nick 'this is gonna be tough.'

By the time they got to the 'I do's', Nick couldn't do it anymore. He stood from his seat and turned towards the door. 'Miss Day,' the minister began, 'is something wrong?' Nick froze in his tracks.

'Yes.' Jess replied letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Nick turned around and found that every person, including Jess, was staring at him.

'I'm so sorry.' Jess said as she walked backwards down the aisle towards Nick. She was mere inches from him when she tripped on her train and felt his arms enclose around her to steady her back into her heels. She turned around, but he didn't remove his arms.

'What are you doing?' Nick asked,

'I could ask you the same question.' Jess retorted,

'I can't watch you marry someone else Jess. I'm sorry, but, I have to go.' Nick removed his arms from her and began to walk away, only to be stopped by the grasp of Jess' arm on his wrist.

'Where are you going?' she asked, genuinely puzzled.

'Away.' Nick replied, 'we both deserve to be happy. For you, that means walking back down this aisle and saying 'I do.' For me, it means getting away from here and not having to watch.'

Nick turned and felt Jess let go of him and heard her heels as she clicked back up the aisle. He left the church and found a bench a few metres down the road. The church wouldn't let out for a few minutes, he had some time to get his bearings. He sat in the chair and stared at the pavement beneath his feet. He'd missed his chance. He knew it. His one chance at love, and he'd let it run away to marry someone else. If he didn't have so much pride he would have just told her what she meant to him, but it was Jess who was sensitive. It was her who would pour her heart out, it was Nick who put it back together again afterwards.

He felt someone sit down in the bench beside him, but he paid no attention. He simply continued to stare at the pavement as he tried to decide which type of cats he should get to help him live out the rest of this sad, lonely, single life. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his back that he was pulled from his thoughts and he turned round to see Jess sitting on the bench beside him.

'Jess,' Nick said with a sense of urgency, 'what are you doing here? You went back to the alter.'

Jess sighed, 'only to give the ring back. You're wrong Nick. I can only ever be happy-' she paused, and Nick thought she was going to turn around and run back to Mike, 'I can only ever be happy' she repeated, 'if I'm with you.' Nick breathed a sigh of relief and a smile crossed over his face. Jess changed her expression that it mimicked his and then moved closer to him on the bench. She wrapped her arms around his abdomen, and buried her face in his chest. Nick closed his arms over her back and they sat like that until Nick couldn't contain himself.

A few minutes later, he released her and she sat up. He placed a finger gently under her chin and steadied her face as he leaned in and kissed her. It was an amazing kiss. One that girls like Jess always dream of. One that guys like Nick are embarrassed to tell their friends about. Knowing that the guys would want to know what happened, Nick deepened the kiss and added a more animal quality (this way, he technically wouldn't be lying) they continued the kiss until a disapproving mother walked by with a small child who was staring at them both, completely gobsmacked by what he'd just saw. The pair laughed and stood from the bench, walking hand in hand back home… to get Jess out of that fabulous dress.

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